Choosing the right crib seems like a daunting task. Should we go with a new natural wood crib or your old crib that mom’s been keeping in the garage? Especially if you’re planning for a multi-children home, this could be a long term investment that will serve your family for years to come. With the internet offering access to so many different types of cribs, let’s break down what you should be looking for.

What qualities should I be looking for in a crib?

Picking out the crib is a crucial step in childcare! Newborns are (hopefully) sleeping 14-17 hours a day (and the hope is it’ll be in their crib). Choosing the right one for your family and child’s needs will be unique to every family. The categories you need to be paying attention to are:

●Materials

●Mattress

●Slat Design

●Movability

●Convertible

Materials

Choosing the material for your crib framing is the first place to start. Natural wood cribs have been an age old classic for most designs. Check to see if the building materials are organic and eco-friendly! Ethically sourced and no-waste building materials is investing into a sustainable future for our children. Any materials we want surrounding our newborns should be toxin-free. Harmful plastics and chemicals have no place in our nurseries. No-waste companies are leading the forefront for children’s furniture. Conscious building promotes the healthy growth of our kids while they sleep and play.

Type of mattress

Thickness, firmness: whatever mattress you choose, it needs to be tight fitting to the framing. Any nooks and crannies could be dangerous for newborns to slip or get caught in. Go with a more firm mattress to help support all their little movements. Some more modern frames have different shapes and sizes than typical mattresses. Oval mattresses are sometimes hard to find sheets for (and trust me you’re gonna want several changes of sheets).

Slats

Slat width and slat design are much more important in the selection process than you think. The slats of the crib should never be more than 2.5 in apart! If you can fit a can of soda through, then they are posing a dangerous threat to the infant. We don’t want any hazards with them trying to fit their limbs that should not go through there. A smooth surface with no ornate carvings should also be a priority. Nothing that could catch on the baby’s clothing or be a bonking or scratching hazard for the kid.

Take note that they’ve officially said the drop down sides are UNSAFE for kids. So any old cribs you may nab, make sure they’re still up-to-date in terms of safety codes. You can find

Convertible

First, please, I beg you: buy a crib with an adjustable mattress height to prevent the escape from the cribs… It will save you a world of headaches. As your little one figures out their legs and starts to grow, you’ll be surprised how acrobatic and adventurous they can be. It is such a safety issue when the mattress is far too close to the top of the crib opening.

A crib that can one day turn into their toddler bed helps ease them into a more independent sleep. Buying a crib that can do it all will save a lot of money and help transition your child through different sleeping phases. There are even cribs that convert from a bedside bassinet to infant crib to toddler bed! Talk about a one-stop shop. It saves you money in the long run and keeps the consistency with your child.

Stationary or Mobile Crib?

Is it better to get a stationary crib or a mobile one? Having a stationary crib in the nursery seems nice, but for the first year of the young baby's life, who knows where they’ll fall asleep and at what time of day. Having a crib on wheels is massively helpful when juggling all the housework and work from home needs and caregiving. Making sure the wheels have locks will help keep it from moving unexpectedly. Being able to have the little one nap in the same room while you cook or moving it into your room on a week when they’re sick and needing more attention, the mobility factor will be a huge help.

The investment of your crib is one of the first purchases you should be worried about. Once sleeping arrangements are settled, everything else really starts to fall into place.